#RecycleRightFrequently Asked Questions

Northern Rivers council’s have launched a new campaign called Recycle Right, which aims to re-educate and inform our communities about some important changes to kerbside recycling.Please follow the below so that we can all recycle right. 1. Keep it simple: Only recycle paper and card-

board, steel and aluminium cans, glass bottlesand jars, plastic bottles and containers andResource Recovery Collection Satchels.

2. Keep out soft plastics: This includes all plasticbags, even if they have a recycling symbol, are degradable or compostable, and other soft plastics including cling wrap chip packets, bread bags etc

3. Keep out meat and biscuit trays4. Keepouttakeawaycoffeecups5. Keep out small items – any items smaller

than a credit card. All lids now need to beremoved from bottles and those smallerthan a credit card put in your landfill bin.

6. Keep it Safe: keep out strapping, hose,netting, wires, building materials andother hazardous materials.

7. Keep it Clean: Rinse or wipe out containers.8. Keep it Loose: Don’t bag or box recyclables.

What are the changes to re- cycling in the Northern Rivers?1

In recent years, most of our recycling (paper and cardboard, plastic and metal products) was being sent to China for manufacturing.In 2017, China implemented their National Sword Policy which has placed much tighter restrictions on unsorted and contaminated (incorrect/dirty) items in recycling.The impacts of this policy have been felt worldwide and forced significant changes in the recycling mar-ket, including reduced demand and lower commodity prices for some materials.While we are now faced with the challenge of adapt-ing to these changes in the market, there are also many opportunities.We are hopeful that these challenges will create support for new industry, technology and innovation within Australia, along with better recycling practices.We all need to think about the products we purchase, how much household waste we generate and how we could avoid creating waste all together.

Why are these changes being made?2

We understand that some of these changes might be disappointing, they are for us too. Northern Rivers council’s understand this is an important issue for our communities and we are working hard to recycle as much as possible, as we always have, but we need your help.We would rather have all of the items in our recycling bins recycled effectively, rather than sent to landfill due to contamination by items that should be in the organics or landfill bin.We also know when it comes to recycling it can get a bit confusing, so we’ve simplified our message so that we can improve our recycling practices.We all need to do our bit to think about our own waste generation, responsible disposal, purchasing products that have recycled content and are recyclable and of course, waste avoidance.

Why should I keep recycling? Don’t these changes take us back 10 years?

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No. Councils in the Northern Rivers aren’t sending your recycling to landfill. Our kerbside recycling continues to go to Lismore City Council’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where it is sorted, bailed and transported to various local an international markets for recycling.

Is my recycling going to landfill?12

There are a few reasons:1. There is currently limited markets for soft plastic

recycling.2. They often come loose in the truck and get

caught up in the other recycling streams,causing contamination. We need our recyclingto be as clean as possible, otherwise theywill be rejected by the recycling markets.

3. They get tangled in the machines, whichslows or potentially stops the sorting process.

Why can’t I put bagged soft plastics in the recycling bin anymore?

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Please continue to collect and recycle your soft plastics through supermarket soft plastic recycling programs such as Redcycle. Collection bins are located at participating Coles and Woolworths stores (Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Ocean Shores)

What can I do with my soft plastics now I can’t put them in my yellow recycling bin?

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The linings takeaway coffee cups make them hard to recycle. Our recyclers used to accept them in the paper and cardboard stream, but now that our recyclables need to be very clean, they are considered contamination.Many businesses in Byron Shire offer takeaway coffee cups and lids made from compostable packaging but these aren't yet acceptable in Lismore City Council's organics stream. LCC are conducting trials to ensure the compostable takeaway coffee cups break down to an acceptable standard to maintain their product.

Why can’t I recycle takeaway coffee cups anymore?7

Meat and biscuit trays are made from a mixed plastic, which includes more than one type of plastic and cannot be separated for recycling.

Why can’t I recycle my meat and biscuit trays anymore?8

Small items such as bottle and jar lids will often fall off during transportation or in the sorting process at the MRF. This can cause problems by jamming machinery.

Why can’t I put items smaller than a credit card in the recycling bin?

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Keeping recyclables clean is our most important goal. So we need people to rinse out food and drink before placing containers in the recycling bin.Rinsing containers under a running tap is wasting water but by adding the empty containers to you daily dish washing pile, they can be cleaned with the water you are already using.

Why do I have to wash containers?10

Our machinery and staff at the MRF cannot adequately sort recyclable items that are already boxed or bagged. Please keep items loose in your kerbside bin to keep the system working well.

Why can’t I place recyclable items in a paper bag or cardboard box directly into my recycling bin?

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When incorrect items are placed in the recycling bin, they can reduce the capacity of our region to recycle adequately and place a strain on the sustainability of the recycling industry. Items like hosing, netting and strapping can jam machinery. Apart from contaminating the recycling stream, they also place our Materials Recovery Facility Staff at risk as they attempt to unjam machinery.

Why is it important that my recycling is ‘safe’?3

Yes. Residents can still recycle household batteries, reading glasses, corks, CDs and DVDs, X-rays, mobile phones and accessories, smallelectronics (eg. Cameras, iPods and calculators)and printer cartridges using their ResourceRecovery satchel.

Can I still use my resource recovery satchel in the kerbside recycling bin?

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For more information visit the Byron Shire Council website at www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Services/Waste-recycling

or phone the Resource Recovery Hotline on 1300 652 625

No. Not every item with a recycling symbol can be recycled in the Northern Rivers. Food, drink or other containers are imported and exported around the world and there isn’t a global recycling symbol.Planet Ark has developed an Australian recycling la-bel that you will notice on products (https://planetark.org/recyclinglabel/) but this is still not foolproof as different Council areas can recycle different things.The best thing you can do is to follow the #Recy-cleRight recycling routines and you can’t go wrong!

Can I recycle all items with a recycling symbol?14

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